


but we know it's just a lie

by afrocurl



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Erik Has Feelings, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Protective Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 00:28:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13065363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afrocurl/pseuds/afrocurl
Summary: Charles never imagines that Sebastian won't be by his side, but in an instant that changes.Change brings Erik, Sebastian's brother, into Charles' life whether he wants the change or not.





	but we know it's just a lie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackyJango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackyJango/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [JackyJango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackyJango/pseuds/JackyJango) in the [secret_mutant_madness_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/secret_mutant_madness_2017) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> A Modern, A/O/B Cherik AU where Charles and his Alpha are in a blissful relationship until the latter gets hit. On his death bed, Charles' Alpha takes an oath from his adopted alpha brother Erik to bond and protect his omega, Charles. Erik begrudgingly promises to do so despite being in a relationship with a beta, Magda. Deciding to honour his promise, he severs all ties with Magda.
> 
> Finding themselves in this unwanted situation, Charles and Erik must learn to move on, cohabit, navigate through heats and dare say, love each other.
> 
> Bonus: An unexpected pregnancy disrupts the new found balance!
> 
> I'll leave the choice of Charles' Alpha to you.

Charles stares at the paper, shellshocked. It was hard enough to lose Sebastian, but to have Erik as his legal alpha is another thing altogether.

Charles watched Sebastian talk to his brother while they were in the hospital just days before, but Charles imagines nothing will come from it. Sebastian is - was - healthy and would pull through. No one dies of colds these days. No one.

But, now Sebastian’s body is being interred and Erik holds a paper telling Charles he is now Erik’s omega. Erik’s polite enough to give Charles the note - to show him what commitment Erik’s made - but it just reminds Charles that his life won’t be the same.

Erik has a life that is changing too. Charles knows Erik has - had - a beta woman he’s head over heals for. But this promissory note says that Erik is going to legally separate from Magda to provide for Charles and Charles alone. It twists Charles’ stomach to know that Magda has been forced from Erik’s life just because Charles needs an alpha.

Everything’s just too much for Charles now. However, he sits for the rest of the funeral and tries to think of what will come tomorrow. The paper with all of the details still burns a hole in Charles’ suit pocket.

But Charles feels so much right now that the paper is one of many things on his mind. 

*

Erik moves into the apartment Sebastian had for them as if nothing is different.

Charles knows that’s a lie; everything about Erik is different than Sebastian. Erik’s scent is different and he acts differently than Sebastian ever did. Erik’s polite where Sebastian was hard edges and harsh words.

Erik asks about Charles’ days at work, about what books he’s reading, about what he’d like for dinner. Charles only gives basic answers, unsure of what Erik will do with the answers.

It’s amazing to Charles that Erik and Sebastian were brothers at all. They’re opposites of each other and Charles doesn’t want to like how Erik treats him for fear that it will turn on a time.

It might be a nice change to go through, but Charles expects life to be difficult. His life with Kurt and Cain was.

Charles thinks what he had as a child was normal.

*

After three weeks living together, Charles starts to realize how a relationship should be. Erik’s nothing but considerate, trying to give Charles as much space as possible while still allowing for Charles to know an alpha is present. Erik scents Charles when they’re alone, filling Charles’ nostrils with the knowledge that he was safe.

Charles rarely talks to Erik, and Erik does the same except for their small talk. They don’t talk politics, or the news, or anything about Sebastian or Magda.

They exist together, but they don’t really live together.

*

Charles wakes up, flushed, sweaty and craving.

Well, shit.

*

Erik fucks Charles through all of his heat as if nothing is out of the ordinary. Charles thinks he might just start to worship Erik’s knot for all the sex that they have, but then Charles remembers Sebastian. Remembers the way Sebastian just fucked him without promising anything through a heat, just gave Charles the sex he craves.

Now, with Erik, Charles has his feelings mixed up. He misses Sebastian, but he wants something more than he had with him. Erik seems content to mindless talk about what it would be like for Charles’ womb to be heavy and full with Erik’s child.

Guilt takes over; Charles cries through each additional time they fuck.

Erik simply soothes Charles’ nerves, tells him that everything will be alright. The baby will make everything better when it comes.

Nothing is as simple as Erik says, Charles decides.

*

As Charles throws up for the fifth day in a row, he knows. Just knows what it means.

Erik seems happy enough with the news, smiling as Charles walks out of the bathroom saying, “I think I need to visit the doctor.”

Erik still smiles as they leave the doctor, the news confirmed.

There’s a baby on the way.

*

Never did Charles imagine having children with Sebastian. In fact, part of why they stayed together was how insistent Sebastian was about birth control.

Erik - in all ways - is Sebastian’s opposite. He’s gleeful about the baby, wants to tell everyone the good news.

Charles just wants to ignore the small life inside him. There’s no hope of that, though.

*

Erik dotes - constantly and incessantly - much to Charles’ dismay. Charles wants to be left alone with his guilt about how he feels loved for the first time, not that Erik knows what Charles feels.

*

Finally, Charles screams.

“I just want to be alone!” as Erik offers - again - to get Charles something to eat.

“I’m just doing what Sebastian would have wanted,” Erik whispers.

“Sebastian didn’t want children, which you know. This isn’t about him.”

“Isn’t this about us?”

“Why should there be an us? Isn’t this just an obligation?”

“I wouldn’t just take responsibility for someone I didn’t care about. You’re not an obligation. I thought we were getting along. Making a home.”

“Well, you can stop it. You’re here by force, not by choice.” Charles watches Erik’s face morph into a heavy frown before he leaves the apartment.

*

In the quiet - peaceful quiet - Charles realizes he’s lonely.

He always had someone near - or close enough - but now Erik’s gone and he feels it keenly.

The baby kicks, and suddenly Charles weeps. He’s fucked up without realizing it.

*

“Come home, Erik,” Charles says into the phone through hiccups. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do; you’re not like Sebastian at all and I just--”

Charles can’t finish the sentence because he can’t begin to explain to Erik all that has fucked him up to this point.

“Just come home.”

*

The door opens, but Charles doesn’t feel Erik come to see him.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Erik says, going into his study.

Charles doesn’t want to cry again, but he does.

*

Erik stays, but he is cold. 

Charles deserves it, but it hurts so much to see his Alpha - that’s what Erik is now - treating him as if there is no baby on the way.

“The baby needs you,” Charles whispers every day, hoping that Erik will turn around.

Erik rarely scents Charles now, though the baby still reminds Charles of what they did together.

*

Charles gives birth to a healthy baby girl, green hair dusting her skull.

She looks like Erik, but Erik’s not here.

He hasn’t been here for weeks - not in the ways Charles has craved. He misses Erik, but every time he tells Erik that, Erik scoffs and goes into another room.

*

By the time Charles and Lorna are home, Erik seems to have fallen back into their old routine. Almost.

Erik dotes on Lorna, almost ignoring Charles for the sake of their little girl.

At night, Charles and Erik share a bed, but it feels hollow.

*

“Do you want to stay?” he asks one night as Lorna dozes.

“I want you to be happy,” is Erik’s answer.

Charles cries in Erik’s line of sight. “I was happy with you,” Charles grits out.

“Then--” Erik starts to say before Lorna gives a wail from her crib.

**Author's Note:**

> title from Rebellion (Lies) by Arcade Fire
> 
> any mistakes are my own; time wasn't on my side with a beta


End file.
